Manhattan Campus set to re-open after Sandy damage

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After being closed for several weeks due to damage sustained from Superstorm Sandy, the Manhattan campus has been reopened in time for students to return to classes for the Spring 2013 semester.

On the day of the storm, Oct. 29, 2012, the building’s infrastructure suffered massive flooding.

The building lost all power, permanently damaging all electrical, air conditioning and heating systems, due to the rain and salt water that Sandy brought, according to Brij Anand, vice president of campus facilities and services.

Anand visited the campus shortly after the storm and said the water in the basement reached up to five to six feet.

“I wasn’t expecting to see that,” he said.

Anand said repair planning began soon after the storm and within a week, the repairs had already started. After pumping out the water, contractors from AKF assessed the damages and then provided a scope of what needed to be done, and electrical workers from ACT started with the actual repairs.

All electrical and heating system repairs were completed by the third week of December; two weeks ahead of schedule, according to Anand.

“It was a great team effort…to get this up and running,” he said.

Anand said, in addition to the repairs, improvements were made in case Mother Nature decided to strike again.

All electrical equipment was relocated to a higher level, as the building’s basement is described as being a “half basement”, where one level is below ground and the other above street level.

According to Anand, a final figure on the cost of damage to the building has yet to be figured out.

“We don’t have the financial numbers yet,” he said, adding that the school is working with their insurance company and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.